Safety-release ski binding toe-stop member

ABSTRACT

The boot-gripping jaw of a safety-release ski binding device has two parallel axes held and guided parallel to two vertical shafts by corresponding guide recesses in two facing channel pieces pivotally mounted about said shafts, with a spring tending to hold these pieces and the jaw in a central boot-gripping position. When the jaw is laterally displaced, one of the axes acts on its recess to pivot one of the pieces about its shaft against the action of the spring, and the jaw is held in alignment by abutment of the other axis in the other guide recess. After a certain displacement, the other axis moves out of its recess and the jaw pivots about said one axis to a boot releasing position.

United States Patent 191 Mimeur SAFETY-RELEASE SKI BINDING TOE-STOP MEMBER Primary ExaminerBenjamin Hersh Assistant Examiner-R0bert R. Song [75] Inventor: Robert Mlmeur, Cluses, France Att0mey ROben E Bums et a1 [73] Assignee: Etablissements Carpano & Pons S.A., Cluses, France [22] Filed: Sept. 9, 1971 [57] ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 179,009

v The boot-gripping jaw of a safety-release ski binding [30] Foreign Application Priority Data device has two parallel axes held and guided parallel to S t 18 1970 F 7033992 two vertical shafts by corresponding guide recesses in 1970 France 7047300 two facing channel pieces pivotally mounted about said rance shafts, with a spring tending to hold these pieces and the jaw in a central boot-gripping position. When the j is laterally displaced, one of the axes acts on its re [58] "5 1 35 T cess to pivot one of the pieces about its shaft against the i e o earc action of the spring, and the jaw is held in alignment by 56 R f Cited abutment of the other axis in the other guide recess. 1 e ergnces After a certain displacement, the other axis moves out UNITED STATES PATENTS of its recess and the jaw pivots about said one axis to 3,380,749 4/1968 Salomon 280/l 1.35 T a boot releasing position, 3.647233 3/1972 Martin 280/1135 T FORElGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 6 Chims, 8 Drawing Figures l,809,889 6/1970 Germany 280/1135 T I i I 2 13 f i J 5 3 i PT;

f. 6 3 l I m f f I IDI i 18 L I I l\ TT W \fi'T TT l i |i t) PATENTEUSWZSMS III- SHEU 1 BF 5 Fig. 5

PAIENTEU SEPZSBIS SHEET 5 BF 5 SAFETYRELEASE SKI BINDING TOE-STOP MEMBER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to toe-stop members for safetyrelease ski binding devices.

Such toe-stop members must generally allow the ski boot held on to a ski to have a certain lateral play, opposed by an adjustable return force, in such a manner that for a lateral stress over and above a given value the front end of the boot is completely freed thereby avoiding the risk of fracture or other break to the skiers leg.

The principal problem with toe-stop members for safety bindings is to consistently obtain release for a preregulated value of stress which must remain as cons tant as possible. In fact, it is well known that lateral stresses on the boot toe during skiing are relatively small, compared, for example, to the axial and lateral stresses on the boot heel. Consequently, unwanted frictional forces, in particular friction between the front edge of the sole and a boot-gripping part or jaw of the toe-stop member, must be reduced to a minimum to minimize the effect of variable factors such as the state of the sole, or the presence or ice, snow of foreign bodies on the rubbing surfaces.

An ideal solution would be to provide a front toe-stop member in which the jaw would move, without friction, with the end of the boot during its lateral play, until the moment of release. Several manufacturers have already produced toe-stop members in which the principle of operation is close to this ideal solution. In these toestop members, a set of connected rods articulated together allow the jaw to move laterally along a trajactory with a controlled movement. Several types are described in French Pat. Nos. 1,077,640, 1,372,663 and 1,584,487, as well as in West German patent application No. 1,809,879. These constructions are however very fragile and expensive and the jaw is guided in a rather rigid manner which can cause a jamming of the boot, since the boots cannot be made with absolutely identical dimensions, and the paths of movement of the boots cannot be defined with precision.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object ofthe present invention to provide a particularly simple toe-stop member which can be manufactured ecomonically and in which a jaw of the toe-stop member moves, without friction, with the end of a boot until the boot is released.

According to a main aspect of the invention, there is provided a toe-stop member for a safety release ski binding device, comprising a boot-gripping member for centering and releasably holding the front end ofa boot onto a ski and for freeing the end of the boot from the ski upon a lateral effort over and above a predetermined value, said boot-gripping member being movable about two parallel mobile axes perpendicular to the plane of application of the lateral efforts exerted by an end of a boot, said mobile axes being held by two mobile pieces pivotally mounted about two fixed vertical shafts and each having means for guiding the said mobile axes upon movement of said boot-gripping member, and. elastic means acting on said mobile pieces to oppose lateral efforts acting on the bootgripping member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Two embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a cross section along line II-II of FIG. I;

FIG. 3 is a cross section along line III-III of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the first embodiment of the toe-stop member during a lateral movement of a boot held thereby;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view, partly in cross section along line V-V of FIG. 6, of a second embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the second embodiment, in a rest position; and

FIGS. 7 and 8 are plan views of the second embodiment during lateral movement and release of a boot held thereby.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF A FIRST EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, a rigid base plate 1 is fixed to a ski by screws 2. This base plate carries two fixed shafts 3 and 4 perpendicular thereto and about which pieces 5 and 6 are respectively pivotally mounted. Each of the pieces 5 and 6 is an elongated channel member of substantially U-shaped cross section as can be seen in FIG. 3, and can be economically manufactured from a sheet of cut and suitably bent metal. The pieces 5 and 6 are symmetrical and thus of identical manufacture and are each held on their respective shaft by means of a pin 7 and washer 8.

A boot-gripping jaw or jaw member has two fixed shafts l0 and 11 protruding from its upper and lower surfaces and slidably engaging in inwardly facing slots 12 and 13 on the upper and lower surfaces of the pieces 5 and 6 and the shafts define pivotal axes about which the jaw member may pivot. These slots terminate with notches 17 at the rear end of the toe-stop member.

The pieces 5 and 6 are normally applied against a fixed stop 14 on the base plate 1 by means of a compression spring 15, the compression of which can be adjusted by means, not shown, such as screws accessible through the lateral walls of pieces 5 and 6. The length of the slots 12 and 13 is chosen in such a manner that when the two pieces 5 and 6 are located against the stop 14, the two shafts l0 and 11 bear against the ends of their respective slots 12 and 13 without play, and the jaw 9 is thus held firmly in position. The base plate also carries a second stop 18 for limiting pivotal movement of the pieces 5 and 6.

In operation, the skier places the front end of the sole of his boot 16 into a boot-gripping recess in the jaw 9. The end of the boot 16 is thus normally prevented from moving in relation to the jaw 9 which mates with the end of the boot. Any lateral pressure acting on the foot, for example along the direction of arrow f in FIG. 4, is transmitted to the corresponding side of the jaw 9 which moves laterally and tends to turn the pieceS about the shaft 3 by the action of the ends of the shaft 10 against the ends of the slots 12. The pivotal movement of the piece 5 compresses the spring 15 and, if the lateral pressure is removed or reduced the, spring 15 urges the jaw 9 laterally and the boot 16 back to or towards the rest position in which the boot is aligned axially along theski.

If the lateral pressure is sufficient to overcome the reaction of the spring 15, the toe-stop member moves to the position shown in FIG. 4. At a given moment, the ends of the shaft 11 slide out of the slots 13 to move into the notches 17. By pivoting about the shaft 10, the left hand part of the jaw 9 then moves away from and frees the end of the boot 16. The notches l7 limit the pivoting of the jaw 9 while pivoting of the piece is stopped by contact with the second fixed stop member 18. The boot 16 is thus completely freed and removed from the ski.

The device fuctions in an exactly symmetrical manner for a lateral pressure in the direction opposite arrowf. In both cases, before release, the jaw 9 follows, substantially without sliding, the lateral movement of the boot. Consequently, safety in use is ensured whatever be the conditions of use, since the release effort is not modified by rubbing of the boot against the jaw.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF A SECOND EMBODIMENT The second embodiment of stop member shown in FIGS. 5 to 8 comprises a base plate 21 fixed to a ski 36 by screws 22. On this base plate are fixedly mounted two perpendicular shafts 23 and 24, for example by revetting, screwing or welding. A hollow casing 25, shown partially cut away in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, and in cross section in FIG. 5, is rigidly fixed to the base plate 21 and the shafts 23 and 24.

The shafts 23 and 24 serve respectively as pivoting axes for mobile pieces 26 and 27 each of substantially U-shaped cross section, as for the first embodiment, and having holes through their upper and lower surfaces by means of which they are freely pivoted about the corresponding shaft. The pieces 26 and 27 have perpendicular side walls 48 connecting the upper and lower surfaces of the pieces, said wall 48 being rearwardly extended by outwardly directed part-cylindrical recesses 28 and 29 respectively. The walls 48 protrude through lateral openings in the casing 25, and unwanted outward pivoting of the pieces 26 and 27 is prevented by abutment of the forward edges of the walls 48'against stops 49 formed in the casing. The recesses 28 and 29 serve respectively as bearings for two rollers 30 and 31 freely mounted on two shafts 32 and 33. The shafts 32 and 33 are solidly fixed between the upper and lower surfaces of a piece 34, also of substantially U-shaped cross section, fixed to and extending forwardly from a jaw 35 which normally serves to hold a boot 37 onto a ski 36.

The internal part, at the front end of the ski, of the hollow casing or frame 25 houses a screw 38 having a slotted head accessible at the front end of the toe-stop member. A flange 39 of this screw holds it axially fixed against the internal wall of'the frame 25 under the pressure of a coil spring 40 transmitted by means of a rotationally fixed nut 41 which is free to move axially along the main axis of the toe-stop member. The opposite end of the spring 40 bears against the bottom of a cylindrical recess 42. This recess carries upwardly and downwardly protruding edges 43 and 44, the edge 43 being visible in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8. The recess 42, by its two edges 43 and 44, is constantly pushed by the spring 40 against symmetrical pointed parts 45 and 46 provided on both the upper and lower surfaces of the mobile pieces 26 and 27 respectively.

Manual rotation of the screw 38 by means ofa screwdriver enables the compression of the spring 40 to be adjusted at will, thereby adjusting the pressure of the spring on the pointed parts 45 and 46.

The pressure of the spring 40 applies the inner surfaces of the semi-cylindrical recesses 28 and 29 of the mobile pieces 26 and 27 outwardly against the rollers 30 and 31, and any lateral action of these rollers, communicated by the end of the boot 37 onto the jaw 35, the piece 34 and the rigidly connected shafts 32 causes an increase of the pressure on one of the pairs of pointed parts 45, 46 onto the edges 43, 44 of the recess 42, hence a compression of the spring 40. It is thus the equality of the distribution of the load on the two mobile pieces 26 and 27 which holds the jaw 35 and the boot 36 fixed along the axis of the ski in the rest position.

In operation, the end of the boot 37 is normally firmly held along the axis of the ski 36 in the rest position. If an effort of the skier or other force transmitted by the ski causes a lateral pressure of the boot on the jaw 35, for example in the direction of arrow f of FIG. 7, the roller 31 tends to push the mobile piece 27 in the same direction, and the pointed part 46, by pivoting of the mobile piece 27 about the shaft 24, compresses the spring 40. Moreover, the outwardly directed pressure of the recess 28 against the roller 30 is cancelled, but the pressure of the roller 30 against the upper edge 47 of the recess 28 is increased, the mobile piece 26 being prevented from pivoting in the counterclockwise direction (looking at FIG. 7) by abutment of the forward edge of the side wall 48 againstthe stop 49.

If the lateral effort reaches a predetermined value for compression of the spring 40, the roller 30 abruptly moves completely out of its housing in the recess 28 and slides on the side wall 48 of piece 26. In so doing, it tends to turn the piece 26 in clockwise direction about the shaft 23 until the inner edges of the piece 26 abut against the symmetrical inner edges of piece 27 as shown in FIG. 8. The jaw 35 simultaneously pivots about the roller 31 and allows release of the end of the boot 37. As soon as the boot is removed from the ski, the spring 40 urges the mobile parts back to the position of FIG. 5 in which position the boot can once more be mounted on the ski.

Of course, the operation of the device takes place in an exactly symmetrical manner in a case of a lateral pressure in the direction opposite to arrow f.

The device according to the second embodiment has the same advantages as for the first embodiment and, moreover:

1. it can be constructed with a reduced bulk, because of the axial alignment of the spring 40 in relation to the ski;

2. the'pressure of the spring 40 can be conveniently adjusted because of access at a fixed point, by means of the screw 38, whilst in the first embodiment the two ends of the spring are mobile;

3. The precision of release is improved because of the fact that pivoting of the roller fixed ot the jaw upon release causes the said jaw to pass from its housing onto a flat surface of the mobile piece, whilst the mobile piece offers no resistance to this movement, since it is not urged by the spring 40. Consequently, there is a rapid, sure and faithful operation for a release effort which can be adjusted with precision.

What is claimed is:

1. A toe-stop member for a safety-release ski binding device comprising a base plate, first and second fixed shafts perpendicular to said base plate, first and second pieces pivotally mounted about said first and second shafts respectively, a jaw member for releasably gripping a part of the toe end of a boot and mounted for pivotal movement about parallel first and second pivotal axes, elastic means urging said first and second pieces towards a rest position in which the jaw member is held by said first and second pieces in a boot-gripping central position relative to said shafts, means mounting said jaw member for lateral movement in a direction generally parallel to a line joining said first and second shafts to effect pivoting of one of the first and second pieces about its respective shaft against the action of said elastic means while preventing pivoting of the other of said first and second pieces, and guide means in each of said first and second pieces for respectively holding and guiding said jaw member with said first and second pivotal axes parallel to said corresponding first and second shafts and including means for holding said jaw member substantially parallel to its original alignment during said lateral movement up to a limiting displacement afterwhich the guide means of said other of the first and second pieces frees the corresponding pivotal axis to allow said jaw member to pivot about the pivotal axis corresponding to said one of the first and second pieces to a boot releasing position.

2. A toe-stop member according to claim 1, in which each of said first and second pieces comprises a U- shaped plate, the two branches of the U having holes therein receiving therethrough said fixed shafts and having therein slots for guiding the lateral movement of one of said pivotal axes.

3. A toe-stop member according to claim 2, in which each of the branches of the said first and second pieces has means therein defining a notch adjacent the edge of said slot for limiting the movement of one of said pivotal axes after same has moved out of the corresponding slot during a releasing operation.

4. A toe-stop member according to claim 1, in which said elastic means comprises a coil spring located substantially along the axis of the ski.

5. A toe-stop member according to claim 4, in which an end of said coil spring bears against symmetrical protruberances on each of said first and second pieces.

6. A toe-stop member according to claim 4, in which the profile of contacting parts of said first and second pieces is such that after release of the device, the coil spring returns said pieces and said jaw member into a rest position symmetrical to the axis of the ski. 

1. A toe-stop member for a safety-release ski binding device comprising a base plate, first and second fixed shafts perpendicular to said base plate, first and second pieces pivotally mounted about said first and second shafts respectively, a jaw member for releasably gripping a part of the toe end of a boot and mounted for pivotal movement about parallel first and second pivotal axes, elastic means urging said first and second pieces towards a rest position in which the jaw member is held by said first and second pieces in a boot-gripping central position relative to said shafts, means mounting said jaw member for lateral movement in a direction generally parallel to a line joining said first and second shafts to effect pivoting of one of the first and second pieces about its respective shaft against the action of said elastic means while preventing pivoting of the other of said first and second pieces, and guide means in each of said first and second pieces for respectively holding and guiding said jaw member with said first and second pivotal axes parallel to said corresponding first and second shafts and including means for holding said jaw member substantially parallel to its original alignment during said lateral movement up to a limiting displacement afterwhich the guide means of said other of the first and second pieces frees the corresponding pivotal axis to allow said jaw member to pivot about the pivotal axis corresponding to said one of the first and second pieces to a boot releasing position.
 2. A toe-stop member according to claim 1, in which each of said first and second pieces comprises a U-shaped plate, the two branches of the U having holes therein receiving therethrough said fixed shafts and having therein slots for guiding the lateral movement of one of said pivotal axes.
 3. A toe-stop member according to claim 2, in which each of the branches of the said first and second pieces has means therein defining a notch adjacent the edge of said slot for limiting the movement of one of said pivotal axes after same has moved out of the corresponding slot during a releasing operation.
 4. A toe-stop member according to claim 1, in which said elastic means comprises a coil spring located substantially along the axis of the ski.
 5. A toe-stop member according to claim 4, in which an end of said coil spring bears against symmetrical protruberances on each of said first and second pieces.
 6. A toe-stop member according to claim 4, in which the profile of contacting parts of said first and second pieces is such that after release of the device, the coil spring returns said pieces and said jaw member into a rest position symmetrical to the axis of the ski. 